"We like timeless themes, so there isn't gonna be songs about fancy cars and sexy girls. Well that last one is quite timeless, I'll take it back" (Tomi Koivusaari , Amorphis)

oceans

Posted 19-04-2007 12:04 by oceans

Rock Tribune (BE):

The lads from Oceans Of Sadness from Dessel, home of Graspop Meal Meeting, continue with their surely unique sound in rising line! Years ago they started as a doom/dark metalband, but gradually there sound got influenced by many other metal subgenres and even found a lot of influences from other music genres than metal. With their newest album Mirror Palace they again take a big step forwards. No real surprises for those who already know the past works of this band but it seems that there's more of cohesion in the dynamic compositions including black, and death metal elements over more traditional metal stuff. Also concerning the more melancholic pieces and jazzy parts you get the feeling that you're listening to strong songs instead of a collage, which could be the case sometimes in their earlier works. But once again this is a very diverse album! As they fool around with ragtime piano tunes in Cruel Sacrifice and the &#65533;maiden&#65533; alike leads in Sleeping Dogs, they also show a more doomy but jazzy sound in songs like Intoxicate Me and going straight ahead full force in Sheep And Shepherds
One of the largest surprises on this album is the surely successful cover version of the Alice In Chains classic Them Bones. Not an easy choice, but because of the broad vocal reach of frontman Tijs this song also sounds very cool, it even has some very unusual violin arrangements that gives the song a very special perspective. Also different is that Tijs uses his clean strong voice a lot more than he used to on their previous work so less screaming and grunting but let&#65533;s make it clear that this is a plus! One minor point may be the dominant keyboard sound, but I guess that there will be heaps of people who like this anyways. Also we can&#65533;t keep it unmentioned that this album is produced by nobody less than Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, ...) and we can safely call it stainless for that matter.
On to international acknowledgement guys!

Belgian Oceans of Sadness offer one of the more odd discs in the CD-pile for this edition. "Mirror Palace" happen to be their fourth full length album, and it is evident that these are no amateurs. What they display is something of a cross between Pain of Salvation and System of a Down, with elements of jazz just as well as black metal. The variation is incredible and I stopped trying to find a common denominator between the songs at the third listen. It is incredibly hard to explain why this album "works" – it simply does. Perhaps it is because it is twisted enough or because it breaks the conventions to an extend which we no longer expect, not even from a metal band.

Despite their name, Oceans of Sadness could be summed up in one word: refreshing. In practically every sense of the word, these Belgian avant-garde experimentalists have progressed through each release to positively charge all their strange and wonderful attributes onto one solitary disc, creating their fourth, most accomplished effort "Mirror Palace". Forming way back in 1995 and forging a career based on a foundation of influences such as Type O Negative and Paradise Lost, Oceans of Sadness shot past the commercial major label controversy like Sonic the Hedgehog on crack, releasing album after album of intelligent, mind-tripping sentimentalities in the shape of 2001's "For We Are", "Laughing Tears, Crying Smile" in 2002, and 2004's "Send in the Clowns"; which all widened the bands loyal fan base, as well as earning them cult status and a renowned veneration from worldwide music publications. Now, after a switch in tact and a move to Italian label Scarlet, Oceans of Sadness are ready to wash the world away with their pervasive metal waves.
"Mirror Palace" incorporates new influences; namely more in the progressive metal category; plenty of Dream Theater and surprisingly, Pain of Salvation nuances creep throughout the album, which in itself is a revitalising elixir from the boring stereotype. Some fast paced riffing and all-round evil atmospherics gleam from Amorphis and former touring buddies Dimmu Borgir every so often, adding a dark, enveloping undercurrent that lifts and comforts like a velvet blanket. Often a thick mixture of harsh and clean male vocals, the contrast is handled in a way reminiscent of Canadian power/death metallers Into Eternity, only without the sugar-coated hooks or Malmsteen-esque guitar work. Oceans of Sadness are a different beast, a beast extremely versatile and at home with its private identity. Without merely drifting through the motions like many bands under the 'progressive' banner do, we have a deep well of influences that these Belgians draw from; for example the classical intro of monstrous album closer "I Know You Know" is extremely authentic, whilst "Sleeping Dogs" and "Cruel Sacrifice" integrate elements of jazz and ragtime.
Mixed and produced by seasoned veteran Jens Bogren of Opeth and Katatonia fame, the sound of the album is seeped in sagacity; boiling over with murky desperation, and a sinister sense of foreboding. Perhaps sounding a little muddy in places due to the ambitious techniques Oceans of Sadness attempt, "Mirror Palace" is still a sharp, edgy, aggressive prog metal album that certainly grows in quality with each listen, one that will sweep you away with the very thing their moniker suggests

Belgian progressive metallers OCEANS OF SADNESS have announced plans to disband after 16 years of existence. The band's official statement on the matter reads as follows:

"First of all we want to thank all of you for supporting OCEANS OF SADNESS during these last 15 years.

"Thanks to you we had the chance to do a lot of cool things, much more than we ever dreamed of 15 years ago...

"During these 15 years we've never really tried to be part of any particular scene music-wise and our image has always been the last thing we cared about. Creating our own sound and writing original and inspiring metal has always been our only real goal and we are proud of the road we travelled during the 5 albums we recorded, with 'The Arrogance Of Ignorance' being the last one, released in 2008 on Scarlet Records.

"We are really proud of all our music and we ourselves have always believed that we kept getting better and better at what we wanted to do.

"But now we feel that our story may have been told.... Theoretically we could easily go on for another 15 years... but we won't.

"We feel time has come for us to relax for a while and who knows what happens in the future... I'm pretty sure all of us will continue making music, maybe together, maybe separately, but more important is that we all have the feeling we can now close this chapter of our lives with pride and dignity.

"We're not the kind of guys to close a door and throw away the key forever, not at all... however, we don't have the intention to come back in this shape in a few years either... Music is about creativity and challenging yourself and right now we feel we got stuck in some sort of routine for quite a while now... We lack the energy to record yet another album, again negotiating with labels, just to end up with another deal that only costs us a lot of money, followed by a few shows... We'll see what happens in the future, like with everything in life: nothing is certain...

"On a positive note: To celebrate the end of OCEANS OF SADNESS in style we decided to leave the scene with a blast and do a special last show.

"The date and other details will be released when all is certain.

"Thanks for everything! We hope you will enjoy our music for many years to come!"